Remover for fruit-jar caps and the like



E. A. A'SPLUND.

REMOVER FOR FRUIT JAR CAPS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16. 1921.

1,402,731. Patented Jan. 10, 1922;

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UNHWEQ stares ERIK A. ASELUND, OF WA'UKEGAN, ILLINOIS.

REMOVER FOR FRUIT-JAR CAPS AND THE LIKE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 10, 1922.

Application filed March 16, 1921. Serial No. 452,791.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERIK A. AsrLUNn, a cltizen of Finland, residing at .Vaukegan,

, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Remover for Fruit-Jar Caps and the like, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in provide a device of the above mentioned general character, which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable and efiicient in operation, with its parts so arranged that the handle members of the device will always be located in such relation to one another as to be controlled or gripped by one hand only of the user, that is, so that the handles of the device will not become separated at a distance greater than the span of one hand and so that when the handle members are closed against each other they can be separated by the employment of one hand only to a sufficient degree to allow the curved clamping or gripping members to be placed around the cap.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a cap gripping and rotating device of such construction that it, when in operative position on a cap, will overlie or engage that portion of the cap above the screw-threads thereon which co-operate with screw-threads on the mouth of the jar or bottle, thus preventing the screw-threads of the cap being pressed into closed engagement with the screw-threads of the jar or bottle by the instrument when the same is applied to the ll still further object is to provide a cap remover adapted for frictionally engaging the caps of jars or bottles of different sizes.

Other objects and advantages of the in- 1 vention will be disclosed in the subjoined 50 description and explanation.

In the accompanying drawing which serves to illustrate an embodiment of the invention Fig. l is a plan view of the device showing it in operative position on the cap of a Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the remover taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the application of the device to the cap of a bottle.

Fig. 4: is a sectional view of the handle members of the device taken on line H of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental inner face view of one of the handle members taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmental plan view showing a modified form in the construction of the clamping portions of the device.

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

The reference numeral 7 designates the cap of a fruit jar. which is provided as usual around its periphery with screw-threads 8 I to engage co-operating screw-threads onthe exterior of the neck or mouth of a fruit jar. As is well known, these screw-threads terminate at their upper ends a slight distance below the upper surface of the cap 7 resulting in an annular wall 9 at the upper portion of the cap.

To take advantage of this formation of fruit jar caps 7, as well as the bottle caps 10, (which are of substantially the same construction) see Fig. 3, is one of the features of my invention.

As shown in Fig. 1, the wrench or remover consists of a pair of oppositely curved gripping members 11 and 12 which are substantially angular in cross-section as shown in various views of the drawing. of their ends the members 11 and 12 are pivotally connected together and have their depending flanges 13 cut away as at 14, see

Fig. 1. One of the members, for instance cent the cut-away portion 14 thereof, and

thus restrict or prevent further outward movement of said gripping or clamping members.

Each of these members has extended from the end of its curved portion opposite its At one 7 pivoted end a handle member 16 each of which is substantially angular in cross-section as is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 1 of the drawings. Outwardly of but near the juncture of the handle members 16 with the members 11 and 12each of said handle members has its downwardly extended flange 17 provided with an outwardly and longitudinally curved inner face as at 18, which faces are provided with vertical serrations 19, see Fig. 5, to engage a cap 10, such as that of a bottle or of a container of such diameter that the gripping members 11 and 12 would not co-operate with to grip the cap. From the above, it will be understood that the handle members as well as the gripping members 11 and 12 are substantially angular in crosssection with their angles presented towards each other, thus producing or aflording an upper or overlying flange 20 to rest on the top of the cap when the device is in operative position thereon, which arrangement will so locate and maintain the depending flanges 18 of the members 11 and 12 so that they will, when the handles 16 are pressed together, grip the vertical wall or upper portion 9 of the jar of the cap as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing' In applying the device to a bottle cap 10', as shown in Fig. 3, it is evident that the curved inner faces of the depending flanges 17 will engage the upper portion 9 of the cap above the screw-threads 8 thereon and thus prevent said threads being injured or pressed tightly on the co-operating threads on the neck of the bottle. A further advantage in forming the handle members with the depending flanges 17 is, that after the device has been removed from a cap and the handle members thereof are located closely together, they can readily be separated by the use of one hand only of the user, by simply grasping the handle members and placing the fingers between the flanges 17 when said handle members can be separated thereby by forcing one of the handle members from the other until the arm 15 on the pivoted end of one of the gripping members shall engage the adjacent end of the other gripping member, which operation will restrict the movement of the handle members to such an extent as to permit them being spanned and grasped with one hand. When in the last named position, the gripping members 11 and 12,

as is obvious, are in position to be placed on the cap of a jar so that their overhanging flanges 20 will lie on the top-of said cap, when by forcing the handle members 16 towards each other, great gripping force may be applied to the cap for turning the same in the proper direction to tighten it on the jar or remove it therefrom.

In Fig. 6, I have shown a modification in the construction of the device, which consists in making the gripping members 11 and 12, as well as the handle members 16, V

of a single piece of material. In this moditied construction, instead of pivotally connecting the gripping members 11 and 12 together at their ends opposite the handle members 16, said ends are joined by a flexible portion 21 which is an integral part of said members, which construction, it is obvious, will permit the gripping or clamping members 11 and 12 to be sprung into contact with the cap which they surround, when the handle members 16 are pressed towards each other.

substantially angular in shape providing-an overhanging and'depending flange on each to respectively rest on the top and frictionally engage the upper portion of the wall of a cap, the depending flanges of said members terminating at a distance from the pivot of said members, and an arm extended from the pivot of one of said members out wardly and adapted to contact with the adjacent end of the depending flange of the other of said members to restrict the out ward movement of the clamping members.

2. A device of the class described, consisting of a pair of oppositely curved and handled clamping members pivotally conclamping members being in cross-section nected together at their ends, said clamping members each having a depending flange at its pivoted portion and each of the handles of said members being substantially angular in cross-section thereby providing an overhanging and depending flange on each handle to respectively reston the top and frictionally engage the upper portion of the wall of a cap, the inner faces of the depending flanges of the handles being provided with longitudinally and outwardly curved coinciding portions to form a seat for the'reception of a bottle-cap and the like, and an arm extended from the pivot of one of the oppositely curved members outwardly and adapted to contact with the adjacent end of the depending flange of the outward movement of said members.

ERIK A. ASPLUND. 

